


A Tie, A Road, and A Key

by Guardian_of_Hope



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin needs a friend, Bullies, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Lothal Temple shenanigans, Multi, Surprise Family, Time Travel, original Skywalker children, original Solo-Organa children
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 23:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14556354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_of_Hope/pseuds/Guardian_of_Hope
Summary: A good friend is a connection to life — a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world. ~Lois WyseAn unexpected trip into the Lothal Temple ends with Ben and his cousin Ani face to face with their grandfather, a lonely boy in desperate need of something.Ben and Ani were never the sort to walk away from a person in need.





	1. Lothal

**Author's Note:**

> I am VERY MUCH AWARE that Legends provides us with Ben Skywalker, son of Luke and Mara and Anakin Solo, son of Leia and Han. This, however, is NOT THEM. 
> 
> Ben Jade, as he will call himself, may have some resemblance to that character, but that is not intentional on my part. I simply favor the conventions behind Luke naming a son after Old Ben.
> 
> This Ben has an older brother named Own (named by Mara after a man she remembers fondly) and a younger sister named Shmi. (Luke won the coin toss on her name.)
> 
> Anakin Organa, while the child of Leia and Han, is from a matriarchal society, where the child is named for the mother. He's usually called Ani, and calls himself Ani Solo in the past because his mother's name is very well known on Alderaan, obviously.
> 
> Ani has twin older sisters, Padme and Sabe; named by Leia after the two women who influenced her life strongly. (Padme's political career both as Queen and Senator, and I favor that Sabe was involved in Leia's childhood concept). Leia named them thusly because Han wasn't there and Leia was somewhat angry and feeling a bit petty.
> 
> Ani also has an older brother named Jacen, named by Han after "a guy he knew". (Note this story is part of the same verse as A Solo Path)
> 
>  
> 
> Padme and Sabe are Jedi Investigators, they work with the Republic Judicial Department on Force sensitive incidents.
> 
> Jacen is a Jedi Sentinel.
> 
> Owen is still learning as a Padawan, and Shmi is about to start her knight training.

One of the downsides of being a son of Luke Skywalker was that after a while, you’d seen all the cool historical sites so many times that they weren’t interesting any more, thought Ben Skywalker, after a while, they became just as boring as any other place.  Ben tried to keep his sigh to himself as he followed his cousin and their classmates off the ship and into the small town that had been built around the Lothal Temple. 

Dume hadn’t grown that much from when Ben had been four; the party that had been thrown to celebrate the town’s celebration had stretched out for days and Ben had gotten sick from eating too many yogans. The only real growth the town had experienced was in response to the work done in the Lothal Temple.  Master Jedi Ezra Bridger and his partner Sabine Wren had built the town to serve as a base for Ezra’s explorations of the temple after the War and to serve as a home for the myriad of animals Ezra tended to collect.  Sabine had also built an art school there, although Ben had heard that she had a few special students every year that got their scholarships from New Republic Intelligence.  It was the sort of thing Ben didn’t care to ask too many questions about.

A hand touched his arm and Ben glanced up as his mom fell in step beside him.  “Bored?”  She asked quietly.

“Maybe,” Ben said, “do you think that Ezra will show off what he’s found?  Master Kanan was telling Dad about some new chamber?”

“Eavesdropping again, Ben?  You really need to stop doing that.  Your father will tell you things when he’s ready.”  Mara chided him as they fell behind the other students as the tour moved on.

Ben gave Mara his best innocent expression.  “I was meditating, honest.  Just, you know, coming out of it?  It sounded really cool.”

“Let your dad show everyone around, and then ask him,” Mara replied, with a sternly amused expression.  She wasn’t easily swayed by an innocent expression, not when she’d been the one to teach Ben how to lie properly.  She tilted Ben’s chin so that he met her eyes as she continued.  “But _you_ must ask him, don’t get Ani to speak for you Ben.  In fact, consider that your task this trip, to figure out how to ask for things on your own without your cousin helping you.”

Ben managed a smile, “Okay Mom.”  

It was easier to let Ani do the talking most of the time, he had all of Aunt Leia’s eloquence, a trait that Ben seemed to have missed.

Mara pushed some of his hair back and smiled at him, “I know this can be boring since you’ve been here before, but keep in mind that they haven’t.  Try seeing it from their perspective, okay?  You might be surprised.”

“I will,” Ben said.

“Good, now go catch up,” Mara said.  “And Ben, don’t forget we’re sparring later.”

Ben cringed a little but nodded, “I won’t.”  He hurried to catch up with his class before his mom really got creative.  

Mara Jade might have been a mother three times over, but that didn’t stop her from being deadly with a lightsaber.  She taught all of them how to fight and made a point out of being the only unbeaten Jedi at the Academy, although Ben had heard her joke that this was because she simply refused to spar with certain Jedi who were noted for their lightsaber skills with an audience.  Being invited to be her sparring partner was how Mara Jade Skywalker disciplined her husband’s students.

“This is the Pavilion,” his dad was saying as Ben slipped up to stand beside Ani.  “We’ll meet here in the mornings for meditation.”  Ani glanced at Ben, but then turned his attention back as the tour continued.  Ben’s dad had ways of knowing who wasn’t paying attention and tended to make an example of them.

Finally, they arrived at the building that would serve as their quarters for the duration.  Ben smiled a little to see Ezra waiting for them with a pair of lothcats at his heels; the Jedi Master had always had a close bond with the creatures of his native planet above all others.  

After seeing to it that everyone had a room, and a roommate, they gathered in the common area outside the mess hall and Ben’s dad clapped his hands to catch their attention. “Everyone grab lunch and then you’re free to do some exploring.  Do not go into the temple, yes Ben, even you.  When the time is right you’ll each get your chance to go inside.”   The pointed look that accompanied that statement was more that of Ben’s father rather than that of Master  Luke reprimanding an errant student.

Ben rolled his eyes, he’d already promised to be on his best behavior this trip  and would be able to go exploring some other time.  If the meeting between his dad and Ezra didn’t go on too long, Ben had every intention of speaking with the Jedi Master.  Ezra had some of the best stories to tell if the request was presented in the right way, and Ben had heard a rumor that Ezra knew the truth behind some of Luke Skywalker’s more infamous training sessions.

“Ben,” Ani slapped his arm, getting his attention, “what’s wrong with you?  We’re on Lothal, this is awesome.”

Ben shook his head, “I’ve been here before.  It’s _boring._  Nothing’s going to happen until we get into the Temple.”

“So, let’s go check it out,” Ani said as they headed for the line to the buffet.

“Can’t,” Ben said.

“Aw, is little Bennie afraid?”  Someone sneered from behind them.

“Nope,” Ben said, turning to eye the Bothan speaker cautiously.  Hallin was known for trying to get people in trouble, but Ben hadn’t seen him pull something around the teachers before.  “I’ve been down there before.  I just promised Master Luke that I would be on my best behavior this time.”

“You, on your best behavior?”  Ani teased him.

“Better than yours,” Ben said, “I’m not the one who was banned from those diplomatic dinners your mom was hosting during the break.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” Ani protested, “Jacen was the one who set me up for that.”

“Sure,” Ben said dryly.

“Doesn’t matter either way, you’re both too chicken to go in the Temple alone,” Hallin declared.

Ben wondered for a moment if Hallin was trying to get them in trouble, or if he was just blustering because he could.  Then, as the line moved, Ben realized it didn’t matter. Whether or not they went to the Temple, Hallin would find a way to profit from it.  The Bothan had a habit of turning things in his favor, although never in ways that would actually get him in trouble with the teachers.  Ben was pretty sure that Luke was going to turn Hallin over to Aunt Leia for diplomatic training.  A mind like that belonged somewhere where it would be appreciated and serve the Jedi Order at the same time.

“Look,” Ani said, “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play, Hallin, but some of us actually respect Master Luke and his orders.  That’s not a bad thing, no matter what you think. We’re just trying to get some lunch.  Then you can go off and do whatever it is you think you need to do while we do what we’re going to do.”

Ben wondered what Hallin had said while he was distracted.

“Gentlemen.”

Now that was a familiar, and very welcome voice, “Sabine!  I thought you had classes?”

“Hi Ben,” Sabine said, she pulled him in for a one-armed hug, deftly sliding around his tray.  “I’m actually looking for Miriam.  She wandered away from her class.”

“I haven’t seen her,” Ben said, glancing over at the others.

“Who’s Miriam?”  Ani asked.

“My daughter,” Sabine replied, “she’s twelve.”

“That’s right,” Ben said, “Mom said she was starting at the academy next semester.”

“Yes, and she’s pouting because she must finish her course at the school instead of spending time with you,” Sabine said with a smile.

Ben ducked his head, hoping the others didn’t catch him blushing.  He really didn’t want to have to deal with the teasing that came from being the subject of a twelve-year-old’s crush.

“Where do you think she is?”  Ani asked, “I mean, are there places we could go to look for her?”

“I don’t mean to interrupt your meal,” Sabine said, “but if you have time after lunch, I’d appreciate the help.  I would think that Ben knows the area as well as I, especially in regards to the places Miriam would go.”

“I have some ideas,” Ben said,  trying for a reassuring smile as he thought of the places he’d ended up at when watching the adventurous and stubborn girl.  “Don’t worry, Sabine, we’ll help you find her.”

Sabine smiled back and nodded, “I’ll check in with Luke and Mara, but I’ll see you later.”

“So, who was that?”  Ani asked as they moved to claim a table.

“Sabine Wren,” Ben said, “you’ve met her before.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen her with hair like that,” Ani said after a moment.

Ben turned to look at Sabine’s green and blue hair color, “Probably not.  She doesn’t go to Coruscant unless it’s a big deal, and she usually strips the dye out when she goes, out of respect.  That’s what she looks like when she’s teaching at the art school.”

“Ah,” Ani said, “she’s with Ezra, right?  They have a kid together.”

“Not exactly,” Ben said.  “While Sabine and Ezra raised Miriam together, they’re not exclusive.    You’ll like her though, she’s bold and crazy.”

“And she’s got a crush on you,” Ani said lightly.

“What? No she doesn’t,” Ben protested.

“Then why did you blush?”

“Because I’ve heard one too many jokes about the two of us getting married one day, and I’m really getting worried about the number of people who seem to think I’m thrilled with being romantically linked to a twelve-year-old at the age of sixteen.”  Ben stated firmly.

“That is very disturbing,” Ani said after a moment of poking his food with a fork.  “I honestly hadn’t considered it from that angle.”

“Maybe you should have,” Ben replied before digging in to his own meal.

 


	2. Trouble

After lunch, and checking in with the Masters, Ani followed Ben out into the town.  It wasn’t a bad place Ani decided, just not what he was used to.  He spent most of his time between the overly populated Coruscant or the busy but isolated Jedi Academy.  He’d been sick the one time he’d been supposed to come here, for the town’s founding twelve years back.  His mother had come here on several occasions to deal with disputes over the Jedi Temple.  It was usually because some over eager New Republic scholar had stepped on the toes of some defensive Lothal native and then refused to accept the ruling of the local Jedi Master to stop being an ass.

“Do you know where we’re going?”  Ani asked finally.

“To get speeder bikes from Ezra’s place,” Ben said.  “If Miriam’s going to hide, she’ll leave the town entirely.  She won’t go in the Temple itself, but there’s an area effect [around it] that can make it hard to find people.  I mean, Ezra says there’s ways to get around them, but that those are Dark.”

“Are you sure she wouldn’t go there if she was upset?”  Ani asked as they approached a long, low building that had several lothcats lounging in the front lawn.

“Miriam thinks the Temple is creepy,” Ben replied with a headshake.

They went behind the building to find two more buildings.  One of them had an open doorway with a Lothwolf laying just inside.

“Woah,” Ani said, slowing down.

“Don’t worry,” Ben said, “that’s Little Gray.  He’s an ally.”  He waved to the Lothwolf as he continued on to the other building.  “Hey, Gray,” he called when the Lothwolf stood up, “Ezra said we could use some of the speeder bikes.”

Ani stopped moving as the Lothwolf came out of the stable and approached him.  He carefully didn’t look at his cousin as the large being walked around him, sniffing lightly.

“This is Ani,” Ben said easily, “my cousin.  Anakin Solo, this is Little Gray.”

Ani made his knees stiffen as he bowed, “Master Gray.”

Little Gray studied him for a long moment before he seemed to smile and leaned forward to bump Ani with his nose, making Ani sway, but not fall.  Then he headed back to his place in the first building.

“Little Gray, if you see Big Gray or Miriam, let them know we’re looking for them?”  Ben called, “Sabine’s worried.”

Little Gray nodded, then rested his head on his crossed paws.

“Big Grey?”  Ani asked, slowing to a halt.

Ben turned, “Yeah, Miriam’s companion.  Don’t worry about him, he’s pretty cool, I mean, for a Lothwolf that’s taller than me and all that.  Now come on, let’s get going.”

Ani eyed Ben for a moment, then hurried to join his cousin at the second outbuilding.

“Why are you in such a hurry?”  Ani asked.

“I want to find Miriam,” Ben replied.

“Uh huh,” Ani drawled out.  “You sound like it.”

Ben led the way into a garage full of speeder bikes, “Look, the sooner we find Miriam and tell her Sabine’s worried, the sooner we can go do something that isn’t here.”

“And what can we do out here, which we both know is a sparsely populated area, that doesn’t involve being in town or at the Temple?”  Ani asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

“Lots of things,” Ben said, “don’t you trust me?”

“Not when you’re avoiding my questions.  What’s going on cousin?”

Ben rested a hand on the handle of one of the bikes, staring fixedly at it’s seat, “Mom wants me to spar with her,” he muttered softly.

Ani blinked, not sure he’d heard Ben properly, but when what was said actually registered, he laughed.  “Going out now isn’t going to get you out of that, Ben.  You know that better than I do.”

“Maybe,” Ben said, shrugging, “but how long do you think she’s going to be here?  I have every intention of avoiding it for as long as possible.”

Ani settled onto one of the other bikes and started it up, “It’s your funeral, Benny-Boy.  Let’s get going.”

Ben and Ani left the garage through a large door that opened just enough to let them out.  Ani got a glimpse of Little Grey as they passed, but he was quickly distracted by a large, black Lothwolf that joined them as they approached the side of the Temple.  The Lothwolf ran easily beside them, tail lifted like a banner and the sense of his pleasure in the run like an aura around him when Ani thought to look.  He vanished as they wove through some of the smaller mountains around the Temple, but Ani didn’t get the sense that that was a bad thing.  More that the Lothwolf had had his fun and was now heading on to do other things.

Ben signaled a halt as they reached the space behind the Temple and Ani stopped his bike, so they were side by side.

“What are you thinking?”  Ani asked.

“That we should probably consider just doing a fly-by first, before going on foot.”  Ben said after a moment.

“Good idea,” Ani said, “we’d probably look really stupid if we did a lot of walking, and she was somewhere easy to see.”

They started up the bikes and were two-thirds of the way around the mountain when Ben stopped again, skewing the speeder sideways in his hurry.  He was pale, his eyes wide and his hands trembling.

“Ben?”  Ani asked.

“Trouble,” Ben began.

The Force screamed into his awareness, cutting through Ani’s attempt at a question with the utter certainty that something bad was coming.

“We need to get undercover,” Ani said as soon as he could speak.  He pointed up at some shadows on the side of one of the adjacent peaks, “Are those caves?”

“I- I don’t know,” Ben said, swallowing.

“Let’s go find out.”  

Abandoning the speeders, Ani followed his cousin at a run, grateful to five years of Academy training under the Combat Master and her assistants combined with his parents’ providing him with access to other teachers for different forms of combat.  Between his parents and his aunt, Ani felt confident enough in himself to be able to survive whatever was coming.

They were almost to the shadows when two black craft came shrieking out of the atmosphere.  Ben turned to look up, but Ani didn’t, grabbing his cousin’s arm and dragging him after.

“They’re looking for us,” Ben said suddenly.

“Let’s make sure they don’t find us,” Ani replied as he approached the first opening.  It was a cave, but very shallow, with no real opportunity to hide.  It took them three times to find a cave that looked deep enough.

“This might not hide us,” Ben said, “there’s something.”

When he trailed off, Ani turned to really look at his cousin.  Ben’s eyes were unfocused, his attention not really on the real world.  The Force was flowing around him like a stream cresting around a boulder.  It felt like his mom, or Uncle Luke, when they really reached into the Force.  Dad had told him it was the Skywalker bloodline, which tended to produce ridiculously strong Force Sensitives with very little prodding.

“Come on Ben,” Ani said, gripping his cousin’s shoulders, “what’s got you distracted?”

“The Force,” Ben said, sounding almost like himself.  Then he sighed and closed his eyes, “There’s something about those ships, something,” he trailed off and his eyes snapped open.  “The Force!  One of them is Force sensitive, but, it’s not right.”

“Dark?”  Ani asked uneasily.

“I- I’m not sure,” Ben admitted.

After a moment of staring at each other, Ani realized he could hear something outside their cave, the sound of something walking over gravel.  He glanced at Ben and realized that his cousin could also hear it.  They reached out to take one another’s hand even as they started to back up.  They had only managed to move back three feet before someone outside sneezed and they both froze.  Ani shifted his weight carefully, not wanting to make a noise that whatever was out there would hear.

The floor beneath them suddenly made a crunching and grinding noise before giving way beneath them.

 


	3. Modest

Ben yelled, hanging onto Ani with one hand while he reached out with the other to try to do something.  He managed to catch his hand on the edge of the hole with his free hand for a moment, long enough for Ani’s weight to pull his other arm sharply.  For a moment, they hung there, and then the edge of the hole that Ben clung too broke off and they were falling.

Ben tried to reach for the Force, to bring his mind to bear on the fall, but his fear kept interfering, causing him to lose focus.

Suddenly, there was a thud and Ani grunted, then Ben found himself brushing against a rock wall that slowly became more and more solid under him, like a slide.  Finally, Ben found himself rolling over Ani onto a flat floor.

For a long moment, they lay there in silence.  Ben tried to bring his breathing under control with one of his mom’s favorite breathing exercises, but it kept escaping him in the blackness around them.

“Are you okay?”  Ben asked.

“Think so.”

“Where are we?”  Ani asked.

“I don’t know,” Ben said, and made himself roll onto his back and sit up.  He couldn’t even see back up the hole they’d fallen in.

Suddenly, light appeared, brightening so slowly that Ben didn’t feel like he was blinded by it after blinking a few times.  He glanced around, but there was no source for the light, only the half-worked tunnel that they’d landed in.  The floor was smooth, as were the walls up to a point, however the ceiling and the upper half of the walls were rough and unfinished. A soft grating sound caused Ben to look up, the stone around the hole they’d fallen in moved, spiraling until the hole was closed.

“What the,” Ani breathed.

“Ani,” Ben said, reaching out to touch his cousin’s leg, “I think we’re in the Lothal Temple.”

“What?  But how?”  Ani said.

“Nobody knows how big it is,” Ben said, “it changes, and most of what isn’t mapped is where we find the crystals during our trials.  Ezra said that they couldn’t even be sure of everything they’ve already mapped, because sometimes even parts of that vanishes.”

“How?”  Ani asked, “That’s not, it can’t be possible.”

Ben turned and gave his cousin a tight smile, “Of course it’s possible.  This is the Force we’re talking about.  You know as well as I do that the Force doesn’t follow the rules set down by us mere mortals.”

“This, it’s rock,” Ani protested.

“It doesn’t matter,” Ben said, “arguing the nature of the Force and what it can and cannot do isn’t going to help us get out of here.”

“You’re right, we need to find a way out of here,” Ani replied and began to stand up.  “You said this place changes, right?  How do the students on trial get out of here?”

“Dad always tells them that when they’ve passed, the path will be revealed,” Ben said, also standing up, “and Ezra likes to tell them to expect everything and nothing.”

“That’s not helpful,” Ani said.

“It’s not supposed to be,” Ben replied, “that’s why it’s called a trial.”

“But we’re not on our trials!”  Ani protested.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that the Temple and the Force doesn’t care,” Ben said dryly.  “Besides, however we got in here, by the time we get out, we’ll have passed the trials either way, especially if it includes finding kyber crystals.”

Ani nodded, wishing that his mother hadn’t been so instant on ‘family time’ when his siblings were home from the Academy.  He was considered better informed than some of the students, but Ben had grown up in the temple, dogging the heels of his parents at every opportunity and soaking in all the Force lore that existed.  Ani had trained for kidnappings and assassination attempts, and could greet and converse with hundreds of beings, but Ben had more knowledge of the Jedi.

“Let’s get moving,” Ben said, “I’m pretty sure we won’t be killed by the Temple, but starvation and dehydration are completely different issues.”

“Agreed,” Ani said.  He glanced up and down the tunnel and pointed, “Let’s go that way.”

They walked shoulder to shoulder, not quite willing to hold hands, but also not willing to risk losing contact.  Ben kept glancing over as well, half afraid that his cousin would vanish while he wasn’t paying attention.  His inattention cost him, he tripped on an uneven part of the floor.  When Ben had picked himself up, Ani had vanished.

“No,” Ben whispered, “Ani?”

He reached out in the Force, but there was no prickly-warmth that always signaled Ani’s presence.  Ben stood up and looked around the tunnel, unsure if he should move or not.

“Who are you?”  A deep, echoing voice demanded.

“What?”  Ben said, pressing his back against the side of the tunnel.

“Who are you?”  The voice repeated.

Ben swallowed, “I am Ben Skywalker,” he called out.  “I’m a student at the Jedi Academy and presumptive Padawan of the New Jedi Order.”

“Why are you here, Ben Skywalker?”

“I’m lost,” Ben said.  “My cousin Ani and I were looking for a lost girl, and raiders attacked.  We tried to hide, but the floor gave out and dumped us here, and now Ani’s gone.  Do you know, is he okay?”

“Why are you here, Ben Skywalker?”

“I didn’t mean to be,” Ben protested, “not now, not like this!  I wasn’t ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“To undergo the Trials, to become a Padawan, to quest for my Kyber crystal.  To become a Jedi.”  Ben wrapped his arms around his waist.

“What do you want, Ben Skywalker?”

Ben bit his lip, and shivered, “I want to find my cousin, Anakin Organa.  I want to leave the Temple safely. I- I want my parents, or my aunt and uncle.”

“Do you want to be a Jedi?”

“Most of the time,” Ben said.  “I mean, my parents are Jedi, and Dad’s a hero.  Besides, everyone expects me to be a Jedi, but I don’t know if I do.  I don’t know what else I want to do either.  It’s just, it’s easier to go along with it, I think.  I know that there are Dark Siders out there, trying to trick and hurt people, and that’s so wrong.  I’d like to think I can help stop them, even if we don’t know how to find them yet.”

“Did you know that in the days that were, the Jedi wouldn’t give you that choice?”  The voice asked.

“Of course, they would, they’re Jedi,” Ben insisted, even as a flicker of unease whispered in his mind.

“There was a case of the Jedi being sued for taking custody of a baby after a natural disaster.  Some people called them baby stealers.”

“But- but _why?_   They’re Jedi, that’s not how it should be.”

“But it was.  Your own grandfather didn’t have a choice.”

“I don’t understand,” Ben said, he pressed his back against the wall and slid down.  “The Jedi are supposed to be good and compassionate, the peacekeepers and protectors.  Why would they steal children?  That doesn’t sound right.”

“Perhaps they have simply lost their way, Ben Skywalker.  Maybe they need a reminder.”

“The New Jedi Order isn’t like that, if I told my Dad I didn’t want to be a Jedi, he’d help me find what I wanted to be instead.  My Mom too.  They wouldn’t force someone to become a Jedi.  That’s not their way.”  Ben glared up towards the ceiling, unbelieving that the voice would say that about his parents.

The wall behind him vanished and Ben fell backwards onto a smooth stone floor.  The walls around him were curved and carved, as was the floor.

“If you met a Jedi of the Old Order and saw them speaking of the younglings, would you be brave enough to speak your mind?”

“I think so,” Ben said.  “I’m not the speaker Ani is, but I’d definitely try.  Jedi are supposed to be better than that.”

A green crystal appeared above him and floated down to him, Ben held his hand out and let the kyber crystal land in his hand.

“Thank you,” Ben said.  “I- I’m not sure I deserve this, but I’ll not dishonor it.  And I’ll think about what you said.”

“You are a compassionate man, Ben Skywalker, and modest.  Remember that.”


	4. Good

Ani swore when Ben vanished.  He spun around, losing his composure enough to scream Ben’s name once before he stopped and stood, struggling to control himself again.  There was a flash of light, and then he was standing in the cockpit of the _Falcon._   No one was there, and it looked wrong, Ani stared at it, “Who the hell puts a compressor on…” he said out loud, only to trail off as he took in the world outside the viewport.

It was a desert.  Not Tatooine, but it had the look for it.  Ani moved forward, trying to see beyond the edge of the ship for a clue.  Then he flinched back as lasers struck the ground to the left and ahead of the ship.  He watched as they tracked forward to strike a ship he didn’t quite recognize.  Ani turned to look behind him, deciding to head to the back of the ship to get an idea of what was going on.  As he approached the ramp, however, two people raced on board.  One was a young man in storm trooper blacks under a vaguely familiar jacket, the other was a girl in desert appropriate clothing.

Ani stared as he realized he could see their lips moving but, couldn’t hear them speak.  Realizing that the man was heading for the turret gun while the girl headed for the cockpit, Ani followed the girl.

However, just as he reached the cockpit again, the world faded, and he was back in the tunnel, “What the hell?”  He said out loud, glancing around him, “Who was that?  Are they people I should be looking for?”

“To whom do you speak?”  A warm, female voice asked.

“Uh, the Force, I guess?”  Ani said, “Who or whatever showed me that, that vision.  Was it you?”

“It was not I,” the voice replied.  “Do you understand what you saw?”

“That was the Falcon, and people I didn’t know, they were going to take it,” Ani replied, “but it wasn’t right.  Someone changed it.  The compressor was stupid, but, there were, other things.”

“What about the people?”

Ani considered what he’d seen in that moment, what few impressions he’d gathered about them.  “The girl was sensitive, highly so.  She belonged in the Academy.  She was also sad, but like an old sad, not a new one.  The boy was terrified, and I think he had the Force to, but I wasn’t sure.  It was, blurry.  Like he’d been forced to hide it.  I think he could have been a Jedi, but he’d need help.  Who are they?  Can I help them?”

“That is a world where things went very differently, Anakin Skywalker.”

“It’s Organa actually, or Solo.  Not Skywalker.”

“You are a grandson of the Chosen One, it is his blood that draws you here.  As to what you were shown, that is a world where the son of Leia Skywalker and Han Solo fell to the darkness and set everything spinning and off balance.”

“Do they escape?”  Ani asked, “Whoever was hunting them, did they get away?”

“They did.  Several times, in fact.  Your thoughts are a credit to you, Anakin Skywalker.  Why do you wish to become a Jedi?”

Ani tucked his hands behind his back and squared his shoulders, “Because I have this power that most people don’t, and this power, it will help me help people who need it.  My family has dedicated themselves to the Jedi, and to keeping the Balance, and I like that, it sounds like something worth doing.  I don’t know all the ways I can help people, but I’m willing to do my best and help people who need it.”

“And you are the only one who can do this?”

“No,” Ani said, “that’s what the Jedi are, that’s why we’re an Order, and not just random people wandering around floating pears and chopping people’s arms off.  We’re supposed to be able to depend on each other for help, to ask for aid and get it, and not just anyone, but the best counter to the situation that lead to the need for aid in the first place.”

“You are a good man, Anakin Organa, worthy of your destiny.”

Two pinpoints of blue light appeared and floated down from the feeling.  Ani reached out and gasped as two kyber crystals settled in his hand.  He’d always wanted to learn Jar’Kai, the use of two blades compared to one, and with this, he had an actual chance.

“Thank you,” Ani called out, “thank you for these.”  He put the stones in the inner pocket of his jacket and glanced around.  After a moment, he picked the left tunnel and started that way.  All he had to do was find Ben and get out of the Temple.  Hopefully Uncle Luke wouldn’t be mad.


	5. Chapter 5

Ben shuddered slightly as a cold chill slid down his spine.  Although he’d been granted his crystal, he’d opted not to move.  It was easier to be found if you weren’t moving, and if intent had any impact on Temple mechanics, he would hopefully find his cousin back soon.

“Ben!”

Ben spun and grinned, “Ani?”

“I’m glad I found you,” Ani said, striding across the room to pull Ben into a hug.  “This place is something, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Ben said.  “I’m glad you’re here though, it’s nice not to be alone.”

“Don’t I know it,” Ani replied.  He glanced around, “Which way?”

Ben considered and then pointed, “I think it’s that one.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ani said, and headed off.

Ben paused, wondering if this was another trick of the Temple, but then shrugged it off.  Trick or not, he was a bit tired of being alone.  He hurried after his cousin, falling in beside him once the tunnel was wide enough.

“I hope we get out of here soon,” Ben offered after a moment, “I’m starting to feel a bit cold.”

“Me too,” Ani said.  “I hope Uncle Luke doesn’t make us go back in there.”

“I don’t think he will,” Ben said, “I think we’ve gotten what we need from the Lothal Temple, even if by accident.”

“Did you get the feeling that something was setting us up?”  Ani asked, “Because I had a feeling they were looking for something specific from me.”

“They?”  Ben replied.

“The whatever it is behind all of this,” Ani said, “the powers that be or whatever.  I just got this feeling, like I was being weighed and measured.”

“I felt that too,” Ben said, “but I figure that this temple is a test, and of course they’re going to judge us for the work we’re going to do.”

“I wish I had your faith,” Ani muttered.

“We’ll see,” Ben replied, then pointed, “it opens up ahead.”

“Yeah,” Ani agreed. 

They entered a room Ben remembered, “It’s the creepy skeleton room.  This is like the antechamber for the Temple.”

“Right, so the door out is here somewhere?”  Ani said.

“Yes,” Ben said, “but we’ll need to…”

There was a rumbling grating sound, and then there was bright light coming down one of the tunnels leading to the room.

“That’s the way out,” Ani said, “let’s go.”

They ran down the tunnel and out onto the mountainside, both a little fearful that the door would slam shut again and trap them inside.

Ben ran a few strides past Ani before what they were seeing made him stop.

“The city,” Ani said, coming up beside Ben, “it’s gone.”

“Come on,” Ben said, “let’s get closer.”  He ran down the mountain side and across the plains to where the town had stood, but even as he did so, he already knew.  Dume wasn’t just gone, the plains were as smooth and unmarked as if the city had never been built.

“What happened?”  Ani demanded.

“I don’t know,” Ben replied.

They stared at each other, trying to comprehend what was going on, until Ani broke away, letting out a wordless yell and kicking at the grass.  Ben closed his eyes and dropped to his knees, beginning one of the breathing patterns that Kanan had taught him for moments when all he could feel was terror.

Finally, Ani came back, and Ben felt that he was as calm as he’d ever be.  “We need to get to Capitol City,” Ani said, kneeling across from Ben.  “Are you okay?”

“Okay,” Ben said, “and I’m fine, Ani.  What do you think happened?”

Ani shrugged, “Maybe this is just another vision, a test.”

Ben nodded, “Okay.”

“I’m trying to remember which way we need to head,” Ani said, “do you remember?”

Ben shook his head, “We always come straight here.  I know there are villages around, but I don’t know where any of them are.”

Ani tilted his head, “We need to look for them, in the Force.  Are you good for that?”

“Together or individually?”  Ben asked.

“Together,” Ani said, holding out his hand.

Ben gripped Ani’s wrist as Ani’s hand took his in an equally firm grip.  They leaned toward each other as they began the process of a paired meditation.

It took longer than Ben wanted to admit for them to synch up, but finally, they managed it and reached out in the Force, looking.

_“Fancy words for a slave.”_

_“I’m not a slave!”_

_“You’ll always be a slave.”_

Ben fell out of meditation with a gasp, blinking across at Ani, who looked equally shaken.

“What was that?”  Ani whispered.

“Something,” Ben hesitated, “it’s like Dad says, sometimes the Force shows you things.  Did you,”

“I think so,” Ani said, “I think there’s a village that way.”  He pointed away from the Temple.  Ben almost reached for the Force again, but he wasn’t sure he wanted another vision.

“Do we go?”  Ben asked.

“Yes,” Ani said after a moment.  “We need to find out what’s going on, and our best bet is the Jedi.”

“Do you think there are any?” Ben asked.

“Of course there are,” Ani scoffed, “even the Emperor couldn’t kill all of them.”

Ben nodded and stood up, “All right, Ani.  Let’s go find this village of yours.”

“Wait,” Ani said, “what do we tell them?”

“The truth,” Ben said.

“The people in the village?  They’d lock us up as mad,” Ani said.

The cousins exchanged a glance as they both worked their way through the suddenly presented problem.

“Well, neither of us look old enough to be Knights,” Ben ventured, “Master Kanan said early to mid twenties.”

“Do we have to be Jedi?”  Ani asked, “Is that safe?”

“We may need to take that chance,” Ben replied.  “But maybe we shouldn’t use our names.”

“What, Ani and Ben?”  Ani asked, then shook his head, “No, those aren’t remarkable, or memorable.  Not really.  You mean our last names.”

“Right,” Ben nodded.  “I’ll use Ben Jade.  Mom’s not famous like dad.”

“I’ll use Solo,” Ani said after a moment.  “Whatever’s happened to us, Organa’s a more recognizable name too.  People might know Solo, but that’s an easy one to wiggle out of.  I’m not the first.”

They couldn’t help the grin, Ani’s dad had a whole host of long lost Corellian relatives looking for, just a little bit of family assistance.  It wasn’t helped that Han had anticipated the possibility and put a lot of effort into making it no longer an applicable fact.

“What about the rest of it?”  Ben said, “That, that’s all I’ve got.”

Ani hummed a moment, “So, we’re Padawans.”

“Without Masters?”  Ben said, “Jedi Padawans aren’t far from their Masters.”

“A bad situation got worse, and we were ordered back to the Temple,” Ani offered after another moment of thought.

“And we’re here because our escape didn’t go right,” Ben said, catching Ani’s thought, “so we’re hoping to barter for a ride back.”  He hesitated again.

“What?”  Ani asked.

“Kanan said that Padawans used to have braids, with special string in them.”  Ben said, he ran a hand through his hair as Ani wrinkled his nose.

There had been an issue with parasites at the Temple, and everyone had had their heads shaved to help get rid of them, so both of them had just enough visible hair for Ani’s blond and Ben’s brunet to show through.

“Hey,” Ani said, he stood and put his hand on Ben’s shoulder, “We’ll figure this out, and we’ll see our families again.  Have faith.”

Ben smiled tightly, “Of course.”

They turned and started walking. 

The village turned out to be a farm, with half a dozen buildings and large fields filled with crops.

“That’s interesting,” Ben said as they lay on a hill that offered them a wide field of vision.  “There was a farm out here, I’ve seen the buildings, but it was abandoned.  The Empire.”

“Yeah?”  Ani asked.

“Owen took me out here once, he was assigned to watch me and wanted to hang out with his friends.  I got trapped in the basement for a couple of hours and he didn’t even notice,” Ben smiled.

“Your brother is horrifying,” Ani said.  “Although, Jacen did almost sell me to some ambassador when I was two.”

“For raising or for food?”  Ben asked.

“Why would you ask that, I don’t know!”  Ani retorted.

Ben chuckled, “Come on, let’s get moving.”

“Or, you could explain why you’re spying on my farm.”

Ani and Ben spun to find a man standing behind them with a slugthrower aimed at them.

“Wait,” Ani said, throwing his hands up, “My name is Ani Solo, this is Ben Jade.”

Ben swallowed, also raising his hands, “We’re Jedi Padawan.”

“Padawan, huh, then where are your lightsabers?”

“We- we lost them,” Ani said.  “We were on a mission with our masters and got separated from them.  The ship we were on landed back that way and we snuck off.”

“Lost your lightsabers,” the farmer began.

Ben reached out with the Force, locating some nearby small rocks and lifted them.  They rose above the grass and began to circle around the farmer, weaving over and under his slugthrower.

“We lost our lightsabers, and we’re not sure where we are.  Although I think this is Lothal,” Ben said, letting just a whisper of the Force lace his words.  “Please, we were going to ask you for help.  We need to get back to the Order.”

“Okay,” the farmer said, watching the rocks.  “Okay, you can, you can stop.”

“I apologize for scaring you,” Ben said, standing up and letting the rocks move away and drop.  “It seemed like the quick way to prove ourselves.”

“You said you were lost?”  The farmer asked.

“Yes sir,” Ani said.  “We were tracking pirates, and they must have found us first.”

“All right,” the farmer said, “My name’s Jesse Price.”

“Thank you,” Ben said.  “We were just discussing how to get to Capitol City, so we can find transport.  We have to get back.”

“Well,” Jesse said as he tucked his slug thrower in the crook of his arm, “My wife, her brother’s captain of a ship.  He does a run from Lothal to Naboo on the regular.  I bet he’d know someone who can get you to Coruscant.”

“We’d appreciate that,” Ani said.

“Why don’t you two boys come into the house and have supper with me and the missus.  We can leave for Capital City in the morning.”

Ben glanced up, frowning as the sun’s descent registered, “I hadn’t realized it was that late.  Is there anything we can do to help?  I don’t know much about farming, but I’m strong and I’m willing.”

Jesse chuckled, “We don’t keep animals here, just crops.  Old Hank, on the other side of the hill, he runs animals and we trade goods.  Now, come and meet Amia.”

Amia was an older woman, her dark hair frosted with gray.  She wasn’t pretty, but she had a nice smile, and Ben felt almost like he did when he was with his parents.  Safe, and warm, and home.

“You have a lovely home,” Ben told her when the introductions were given.  “It feels like a good place.”

“Thank you,” Amia said with a smile.  “Do you know much about Lothal?”

“Not really,” Ben replied, “can I help with dinner?”

“Would you take these plates to the table?”  Amia said, gesturing to the counter, “We’re almost ready.”

Ben collected the plates, “One of the Knights my master works with, he came from Lothal.  What I know comes from him.”

“Oh,” Amia said.

“Thank you for doing this,” Ben continued as he put the plates out, “we weren’t sure what was going to happen after we, we got off the ship.”  He swallowed softly, and stepped back.  “Anything else.”

“Is this really the date?”  Ani asked suddenly.

“Yes,” Jesse replied.

“Huh, we were on that ship a lot longer than I thought,” Ani said.

“Anything else,” Ben asked Amia.

“Just bring this pot,” Amia said, “and it’s time to eat.”

The room that Ben and Ani were given to share had a window out onto the roof.  Once they were sure that Jesse and Amia were asleep, they slipped outside and sat down.  “What was that about the date?”  Ben asked.

“We’re fifty years in the past,” Ani replied, “Ben, that can’t be possible.”

“Nothing’s impossible,” Ben said, “it’s what the Force is.”

Ani studied him for a moment, “You’re awfully calm about this.”

Ben smiled, “I’m still mostly convinced this is a vision.  We’ll get what we need out of this, and then we can go back.”

“You still think this is a vision?”  Ani said, “What’s the point?”

“Keep it down,” Ben said, “you don’t want to wake them up!  And Mom always said that if you weren’t sure what was going on to smile and keep going and trust that the Force will make it make sense eventually.  Vision or time travel, we’re here, and we have to stay together.  You said it yourself, Ani, we have to get to the Jedi.”

“And tell them what?  That we’re fifty years out of time?”  Ani demanded, making sure to keep his voice quiet.

“If we have to,” Ben replied, “but I don’t think so.  I just, I have this feeling, telling people we’ve time traveled is a bad idea.”

“So, we keep with the lying?”  Ani said, “Ben, we’re Jedi, we don’t lie.”

“We do when we have to,” Ben said, “That’s what the Mind Trick is, Ani.  Just keep it simple and straightforward.  We’re Padawan who were separated from our Masters, and we’re going back to the Temple because they told us to do that.  We lost our lightsabers during the fight that separated us.  It’s simple, and easy to work with.  Don’t oversell it.”

“Why are you warning me?”  Ani demanded.

Ben tilted his head, “Ani.”

“Okay,” Ani said, “you’re right.”

“I’m going to meditate,” Ben said.

“I’m going to sleep,” Ani retorted and slipped back through the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is brought to you by Nyquil. I will own up to any mistakes because I am not in my proper mind.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Ben and Ani joined Jesse and Amia in the farmer’s old speeder, settling into the back together quietly.  Ben wasn’t a morning person, and Ani had learned a long time ago to keep his comments to himself.  Once they were on their way, Ben wiggled around and then closed his eyes, dropping back to sleep in minutes.

Ani chuckled, “Well, that’s Ben out.”

“Not you?”  Jesse asked.

“No,” Ani replied, “I can’t do that, fall asleep like that.  My Master said I’d pick it up, but I haven’t yet.”  The word Master was foreign on his tongue, and it was uneven substitute for the words he wanted to use, the ones that meant so much to him.  He reached up and ran a finger over his hair for a moment.

“Something on your mind?”  Amia asked.

Ani swallowed, “Just missing my braid.”

“Oh?”  Amia said.

“My Padawan braid,” Ani said.  “I- I had to cut it off, during the fight.  I didn’t, it wasn’t supposed to be like that, but it’s better my hair than my life.”  He rubbed, as if not used to feeling the short hair there.  “Ben, he got on the wrong side of an explosion on his last mission.”  He smiled fondly, “He finally got his eyebrows back, but his hair is barely started recovering.”

“Sounds like you two have interesting lives,” Jesse commented.

Ani sighed, “Not my ideal, I assure you.  I want to be a Jedi Pilot, but the Force decided my Master should be a pirate hunter.”

“Well, there aren’t many pirates on Lothal,” Jesse said.

“I intend to enjoy the peace while I can,” Ani told him.

Capital City was small, with a few ships in the air, coming in for a landing or taking off.

“My brother is named Kennon,” Amia said, “he’s Captain of the Blue Strike.  He commed us day before you arrived that he was in for the week, so he’s still here.”

They made their way to the port, and Ben stared around as Jesse spoke with someone in a port security uniform.

“Blue Strike?”  The man said, “They’re in Bay 17.”

“Thank you,” Jesse said.

They parked the speeder and made their way through the port to Bay 17, where a CVX-1000 waited for them.  There was a tall Twi’lek standing outside the ship, leaning on some cargo.

“Nawara!”  Amia said.

“Amia,” Nawara said happily, “it’s been a while, what are you doing here?”

“Is my brother around?”  Amia asked, “Jesse and I came in to see him.”

“He’s just overseeing the supplies being put away,” Nawara said, “I’ll be right back.”

“Nawara is Kennon’s first mate,” Jesse said, “he’s one of the best navigators in the sector.”

Kennon proved to be an older man, who had once had hair as dark as his sister’s, but it was now almost completely white.  Age hadn’t weakened him, as he proved by lifting his sister in the air during their hug of greeting.  Ben glanced at Ani, not wanting to intrude on what was clearly a private moment.

“Kennon, this is Ben Jade and Ani Solo,” Amia said.  “They are Jedi Padawans.”

“Captain,” Ben said in unison with Ani as they bowed.

“Padawans, huh?”  Kennon said.

They didn’t need the Force to know he didn’t believe them.  Ani tilted his head, “We’ve fallen into a bit of a mess, Captain.  Your sister and her husband were kind enough to give us some assistance.”

“We were hoping you would be able to help us as well,” Ben said carefully, “We need to get back to the Temple, but we lost everything.”

“Including your masters?”  Kennon asked.

“Master Kell is on his way to Kiffu,” Ani said, “tracking the pirates that attacked us.”

“Master Solusar is on his way to Nal Hutta,” Ben added, “backtracking the pirates.   We were ordered to get back to Coruscant with an important message for the Council.”

Kennon studied them for a moment, and Ben was grateful that they were both small for their age.  Ani had some bruises on his arm from the fall in the Temple, and both had torn clothes that were as clean as Amia could manage.  They looked fourteen, or even thirteen, as Ben well knew, and that could be a factor in their favor for now.

“I don’t know,” Kennon began.

“You need further proof,” Ani said, he pointed at the crates outside the freighter, “How about this.”  Two of the crates lifted slowly and smoothly into the air, spun around, and then settled back down.

Kennon nodded slightly, “All right, I’m not going to Coruscant, but I can get you to Naboo.  I know a few people who go core ward from there who might help.”

“We’re happy to work for passage,” Ben said.

“I’m a decent mechanic,” Ani added.

Kennon sighed, “We’ll talk about that on the trip.  Do you have any belongings?”

“No sir,” Ani said, “Is there any way we can help?”

“Nawara,” Kennon turned to the Twi’lek, “see what they can do.  I’m going to spend time with my sister while we’re waiting on that second shipment.”

“Of course, Captain,” Nawara said.  He gestured to the two, “Come on, you two.”  He had a thoughtful look, “There’s actually something I could really use your help with.”


	7. Chapter 7

Ben and Ani landed on Alderaan months after leaving Lothal, and bolted from the ship as soon as the opportunity presented itself.  The Captain of the _Flail_ followed, unwilling to lose a source of income and entertainment.  Racing through a crowded street market off the space port was not how Ani had expected to get his first glimpse of his mother’s planet.  Although, being chased through a market by slavers sounded like something only a Solo would experience.

Ben was safe, at least.  He’d found a place to hide while Ani drew off their pursuers.  With his injuries, Ben couldn’t run as well as Ani.  They were to meet up again at the Corellian embassy further into town.

Suddenly, an air bus blocked Ani’s way.  Ani reached for the Force, leaping into the air to land briefly on the roof before running the length of the bus and leaping across a particularly congested part of the crowd.  Landing, he ran onwards, picking a side street as people shouted around him.

Perhaps it would have worked, but the street turned out to be a blind alley, a delivery space for one of the businesses that lined the market.  Ani spun around, looking up and knowing that he couldn’t make that jump without a little bit of help.

“Did you really think you would escape me?”

Ani turned to the entrance, dropping into a defensive crouch as the Captain and two of the crew entered the alley.  Not the best odds, especially with the way Ani’s arm wasn’t moving right, but that little part in him that Ani had always dubbed the Skywalker part, that was refusing to admit he was beaten.

“Nothing to say, boy?”  One of the crew taunted him.

Ani glared, knowing the man knew why his mouth was shut, the man had been involved in causing the damage to his throat in the first place.

“Stop playing around, and get him.”  Captain ordered.

Ani Force shoved one of the men into the wall and moved to attack the second.  He let a lifetime of training guide him in his attempt.  Unfortunately, Ani was tired and injured, and his opponents were not.  Not to mention that they were all taller than him with a longer reach.  Even with the Force, and the training Mara had given him, Ani knew it was only a matter of time before he lost.

Finally, he overextended and missed a block that sent him crashing to the ground.  As he looked up, preparing for the next attack, someone grabbed the Captain and pulled him away, followed by the other two.  Ani rolled onto his stomach and braced himself on his hands and knees.   He retched for a moment, but there wasn’t anything left to come out, and as that stopped, a small, slender, blue hand moved into view, touching his arm gently.

Ani stared at it, trying to understand, but then the Force flowed into him from the touch, hesitant, but enough to allow Ani to open himself up as well.  The granted clarity and strength helped Ani to push himself upright.  Before him was a Twi’lek teenager about his age, with a lightsaber.

“Are you all right?”  The girl asked.

Ani shook his hand, and pressed a hand to his bruised throat.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the girl gave him a shaky smile.  “My name’s Aayla, I’m a Jedi Padawan.  My master is Quinlan Vos, he’s talking to Security.  They’ll send help.”

Ani swallowed, wincing at the pain, then forced himself to say, “Ani.”

“Don’t,” Aayla began.

Ani grabbed her arm, holding it tightly to ensure her attention.  “Ben.  Find Ben.”  He pushed an image of his cousin into her mind as her eyes widened.

“Where is he?”  Aayla asked after a moment.

“Corellia,” Ani said.

“The planet?”  Aayla asked.

Ani shook his head.

“The Embassy?”

Ani jerked and looked up, a Kiffar man was standing just behind Aayla, watching him with narrowed eyes.  He also had a lightsaber.  Ani nodded.

“All right,” the man said, “I’m Quinlan Vos, Aayla’s Jedi Master.”

Ani nodded slightly as his throat tickled, after a moment, he coughed and swayed as his head spun for a moment.  He pulled back from Aayla and reached into his jacket, quickly finding the hidden pocket and pulling it open. He dug inside and got his fingers around it’s contents, and then pulled them out.  He held out his hand and let them see the two green tinted kyber crystals.  He focused and let them float above his palm.

“Kybers,” Master Vos said, and Ani nodded.  He left them fall in his hand.  “Does Ben have any of those?”

Ani held up a single finger with a slight smirk.

“I’m going to let the officers know that there’s another Padawan in trouble.  The medics will take you to the center for care in the meanwhile.  Don’t worry, we’ll find Ben, and make sure that he’s safe.”

Ani put the crystals back in his pocket as Aayla stood up.  “I’ll describe Ben to the officers,” she said.  “Don’t worry, Master Quin’s the best tracker in the Order.  He can find anyone.”

Ani nodded, and braced his hand on his knees, breathing softly.

“Ani?”  Ani glanced up to find a man in the tan medical uniform.  He wasn’t tracking properly, Ani realized, because Aayla and Master Vos were nowhere to be seen.  “I’m Danyiel Celchu.  I’m going to help you out, okay?”

Ani nodded.

“We’ve got a stretcher right here,” Danyiel continued, “let’s get you on it and then see about giving you something for the pain.  Any allergies I should be aware of?”

Ani nodded again.

“All right,” Danyiel said, “we’ll see what we can do.”

Ani closed his eyes and allowed himself to breath for a moment.  They had found the Jedi.


	8. Chapter 8

Ben woke up to the sense that someone was looming over him.  Given that his last memory was of hiding in the middle of a stack of crates in the alley between two landing bays, Ben felt justified in feigning sleep to reach out with the Force.

Just as he registered the presence as being a Jedi, they chuckled.

“I know you’re awake.”

Ben stifled a curse, but opened his eyes.

A tall, dark skinned man with a rather unimpressed expression looked back at him.  He wore Jedi robes like Ben remembered seeing in the news records he’d seen in class, and his lightsaber was on his belt.

Ben swallowed, “Hello.”

The ground shuddered and Ben jerked upright, then groaned as his ribs protested.  He curled inward, blinking against spots invading his vision.  It hurt worse than the time he and Owen had been messing around with speeder bikes and he’d crashed.  They’d said his ribs were cracked then.

A hand landed on his arm, just below the torn sleeve, and then a warm, tingling sensation spread outward.  It was the Force, but it wasn’t a form that Ben recognized.  As it passed through his chest, Ben felt his muscles ease, and then the pain began to fade.

“What happened?”  The Jedi asked.

“A parting gift from my former captors,” Ben said carefully straightening his spine.

“I am Jedi Master Mace Windu, the Head of the Jedi Order,” the man said as Ben met his eyes, “I would like to help you.”

“I’m not sure you can,” Ben said, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees.  “My name is Ben Jade.  My cousin and I are not where we are supposed to be.”  He bit his lip, “We entered the Lothal Temple nearly six months ago, mostly by accident, and when we came out, nothing was as it should be.”

“The Lothal Temple,” Master Windu repeated as the floor shuddered again.

Ben glanced around, taking in the metal walls, and the stacks of boxes, some of which he recognized as having served as his shelter.  “I’m on a ship?”  He guessed.

“Yes,” Master Windu replied, “We have just entered hyperspace.”

Ben buried his face in his hands, breathing slowly, trying to regulate his heart as it sped up in impending panic.  “It’s not the end of the galaxy,” he whispered, the words his mother tended to use when he was upset.  “Adapt, overcome, succeed.”  He looked up again.

“Not what you expected?”  Master Windu asked.

“Not exactly,” Ben replied.  “I was trying to hide among the crates because I couldn’t run.”  He touched his chest lightly.  “Ani went to lead them off so that I could get away.  We were supposed to meet at the Corellian Embassy.”  He shook his head slightly, Ani was going to lose his mind when he didn’t show up.

“Ani, your cousin?”  Master Windu said.

“Ani Solo,” Ben said, “my cousin.  My dad and his mom are twins.  We were students at the Jedi Academy before the Temple.”

“What were you doing in the Lothal Temple?”  Master Windu asked, “It’s not the safest place for anyone, much less a young Force Sensitive.”

Ben sighed, “The Lothal Temple is one of three sources of Kyber crystals where we come from.  The tests it offers are unique, and no one’s ever doubted it’s capable of more than we’ve seen since Master Bridger began studying it.  At sixteen, we are sent to quest for the Kyber crystals for our first lightsabers.  Ani and I both knew that the Temple was where we would find our crystals.  Some of our class went to Ilum instead.  We weren’t supposed to go in yet, we’d only arrived that morning, but Sabine, Master Bridger’s partner, she asked us to help find their daughter.  Miriam was mad that she had to stay at school for the last two days instead of joining us, so she took off.  Miriam’s just turned eleven, and will start at the Academy this year, so we agreed to look.  We were around the back side of the Temple when raiders arrived.  Ani and I found a cave to hide in on the flank of the mountain, but one of the raiders followed us.”

Ben shivered, remembering the dark aura of the being who had followed.  “It was Force Sensitive, and it was dark.  Ani and I were at the back end of the cave when it crossed the threshold.  Then the floor gave away and we ended up sliding down into a tunnel in the Temple.  We started following the tunnel, but we got split up.”

He rubbed his arms a little, then slid his hand into his coat, finding the inner pocket where his Kyber rested, and pulled it out.  He let the green crystal rest in his palm for a moment before lifting it in the air. 

“I see,” Master Windu said.  He studied Ben for a long moment, and Ben wondered what he saw.  “I will help you to the medical bay, to take care of your wounds.  We’ll discuss this more later.”

Ben nodded, “Okay.”  He put the crystal away and began to get up, hissing as stiff muscles protested.

Master Windu reached over and helped him up.

“Thank you, Master.”

As they left the cargo hold, Ben was surprised to find someone waiting for him.

“Here’s our stowaway,” the woman said.

Ben drew himself up, prepared to apologize, but Master Windu cleared his throat.  “This is Padawan Ben Jade.  While his being on the ship was not planned, he has asked for, and will receive, all necessary assistance, Captain Marsh.”

“All right,” Captain Marsh said, she looked at Ben, “How did you manage to get on board though?”

Ben shook his head, “I’m not sure.  I must have passed out, I guess.  I was… trying to hide.”

“Have you heard from Knight Vos?”  Master Windu asked.

“Yes, Master Windu,” Captain Marsh said, “Knight Vos was detained after he interfered with a kidnapping and ended up assisting in the apprehension of pirates.  He said that he would find his own way home, but would appreciate speaking with you as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Master Windu said.  “I will be making use of your medical supplies and water for Padawan Jade.  The Temple will fully reimburse and resupply you when we arrive on Coruscant.”

“Of course,” Captain Marsh said.

Ben let Master Windu guide him into a small medical bay, taking in the familiar surroundings as they went.  “This is Corellian, a YT-1300.”

“This is the Fool’s Luck,” Master Windu said as he began looking through one of the drawers.

“Ani’s dad, my uncle, he has one of these,” Ben said with a fond smile, “I spent at least a third of my childhood on the _Falcon._ ”  He eased onto the medical bed, running gentle hands over the sheet.  His dad had been in a bed just like this one after he lost his hand.  “The Captain said that Knight Vos was dealing with pirates, and a kidnapping.  Are you going to contact him?”

“Why?”  Master Windu asked, turning around with a hypospray in hand.

Ben tilted his head, “I just want to know if Ani was involved, and if he’s okay.”  Ben paused, “If it helps any, the temple gave him two blue Kyber crystals.  He had them in his jacket, like I do.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Master Windu replied.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my Anonymous Ferret (who's name sounds like Jahaliel) for the beta!


End file.
